Amy and Me

Given that the over-crowded Democratic 'debate' stage yields nothing more than a series of sound bites, it might be worth mentioning arguably the best line from this week's presentation. It came from none other than Amy Klobuchar...when recalling her first political campaign, she proudly declared that she was able 'to raise $17,000 in donations from my ex-boy friends'. Following her excellent example, I've been contacting my ex-girl friends and, to date, have managed to accumulate enough to buy a cup of tea and a day-old pastry!

Preserving Thoroughbred Horse Racing

Recently, it has been suggested that the banning of the blood thinning drug Lasix and the expansion of CT scanning at race tracks will aid in the effort to better protect the thoroughbred race horse as well as preserving the future viability of the sport of horse racing in California.
I agree that reasonable compromise is indicated if all interested parties act in good faith. Regular CT scanning is a good idea and further study on the efficacy of synthetic surfaces needs to be referenced. A likely outcome of a Lasix ban will be a substantial increase in horses pulling out of races due to excessive bleeding. This is bad for owners, trainers, and the racing public as well as for the broader perception of the population at large. Political opportunists like California Governor Newsom will seize upon this issue to advance their future political ambitions while California Senator Feinstein continues to posture without any real knowledge of the industry she is too quick to condemn.
Those wishing to save the sport are right to identify the urgency of this matter as it is currently ripe for a harvest of negative, misleading, and destructive measures that could very well result in the demise of the great (and flawed) institution of thoroughbred horse racing. My past experience as a journalist covering this sport suggests that the overwhelming majority of people connected to the thoroughbred horse racing world are conscientious individuals with a deep connection to the animals in their charge. Echoing an earlier recommendation, knowledgeable people from both sides of the looming argument need to confer to reach an agreement to preserve the integrity of the sport while maximizing the ongoing safety and care for the equine athletes upon whom an entire industry depends.

Fulfilling The Dream Of A Populist Democracy

Although our great nation was founded by elitist property owners the vast majority of whom were slave owners, the Constitution nevertheless suggested, in word, that a pluralistic society was a possible outcome arising from this democratic experiment.
As we continue to evolve through the early stages of the 21st century, changing demographics afford a possible fulfillment of the pluralistic dream once envisioned by the spirit of our Constitution and its accompanying government.
Sadly, the pervasive concurrent existence of political/cultural tribalism and polarization operates as an impediment to the realization of a society in which a vibrant democratic structure reflective of a variety of points of view voiced by a diverse electorate of active citizens can be the hallmark of a contested yet united body politic.
As our diverse population continues to assert needs and desires too long ignored by a power structure impervious to the realities of exclusion, discrimination, and disempowerment experienced by so many of our brothers and sisters, the opportunity to include their rich and important experience into the national discourse looms as an essential aspect of an emerging pluralism. We now have a chance to throw off the constraints endemic to association with just two political ideologies and power centers and give expression to the full array of thought, experience, and aspiration implicit in our collective voice across the spectrum of American life.
Consistent with this notion is an ongoing commitment to the principle of inclusion of all ideas, as part of a new American 'gestalt' where we coexist in an environment of respectful, contentious, inspired, forward thinking, compassionate, widely representative, and truly democratic interaction where the original vision a pluralistic democracy might actually become a thriving reality.

A Bipartisan Principle

Can we all please unite against the MSM insistence on identifying the protection of whistleblower's anonymity as a 'Democratic issue'. Whistleblowers play a vital role in exposing governmental and individual wrongdoing as they provide journalists as well as federal agencies the means by which proper oversight and accountability can be achieved while combating abuse of power in all it's ugly forms. Their anonymity is essential to avoid retaliation by those implicated in the exposure of malfeasance, immorality, or outright unlawful behavior. If it were otherwise, this form of dissent and the preservation of the democratic practice of proper check and balance of the various elements of our government would be forever silenced as a result of fear of reprisal, retribution, and other forms of repression. This is one of the ways by which dictators ascend and maintain their hold on power at the expense of a once functioning democracy.
It is therefore not, as is currently being framed by large elements of the MSM, a partisan matter to advocate on behalf of whistleblowers and others who seek to lay bare instances of corruption and abuse of power but rather a concern for Americans of all political persuasions rightly seeking to preserve and protect the principle lawful governance.